LDV111-2

31 GARY HOFFMAN, DAVID SELIG Might it not also be the spirit of revolt, combined with longing, that motivated Beethoven in 1808, when he knew that Napoleon’s Grande Armée was going to invade his country again? That could explain the quotation, which is certainly rather odd. And wouldn’t you say that the third movement, which is very Mozartian in style, marks a sort of return to the past? Gary Hoffman: It’s a very paradoxical sonata. Yes, it’s certainly full of strong emotions, dating from Beethoven’s middle period. I also think it’s the most balanced of the five. ‘Balanced’, because it seems to me to be the most complete in terms of expression. That’s why that Latin quotation has always surprised me. Though he was clearly in the midst of confused feelings, I sense that Beethoven had the willpower to overcome adversity. David Selig: The melodic lyricism of the third movement expresses, in my opinion, a kind of plenitude. That may appear surprising, since melodiousness is hardly the chief characteristic of Beethoven’s output! But those years also saw the composition of the Violin Concerto (1806) and his Sixth Symphony, the Pastoral (1805-08), both highly lyrical works.